Police say shooting threats that locked down a large portion of a Western North Carolina town last week have been determined to be a swatting hoax.
The Highlands Police Department received a call Thursday morning in which threats were made towards a staff member at the Church Of The Incarnation on Main Street, Thursday morning.
A veiled bomb threat was also reportedly made during the call. The caller also threatened to shoot police if they responded.
The Highlands Police Department and Macon County Sheriff's Office responded to the area. The church and its daycare were searched and later evacuated. Highlands School and other nearby businesses and facilities were placed on lockdown.
Agents from the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation and a bomb squad from Asheville were also called to the scene. Police have now determined that the threats were part of a swatting hoax.
No arrests have been made in the case and an investigation into the hoax call is ongoing.